var baseopacity = 0

function showtext(thetext, elementid) {
    if (!document.getElementById)
    return
    textcontainerobj = document.getElementById(elementid)
    browserdetect = textcontainerobj.filters ? "ie": typeof textcontainerobj.style.MozOpacity == "string" ? "mozilla": ""
    instantset(baseopacity)
    document.getElementById(elementid).innerHTML = thetext
    highlighting = setInterval("gradualfade(textcontainerobj)", 50)
}

function hidetext(elementid) {
    cleartimer()
    instantset(baseopacity, elementid)
}

function instantset(degree, elementid) {
    if (browserdetect == "mozilla")
    textcontainerobj.style.MozOpacity = degree / 100
    else if (browserdetect == "ie")
    textcontainerobj.filters.alpha.opacity = degree
    else if (document.getElementById && baseopacity == 0)
    document.getElementById(elementid).innerHTML = ""
}

function cleartimer() {
    if (window.highlighting) clearInterval(highlighting)
}

function gradualfade(cur2) {
    if (browserdetect == "mozilla" && cur2.style.MozOpacity < 1)
    cur2.style.MozOpacity = Math.min(parseFloat(cur2.style.MozOpacity) + 0.2, 0.99)
    else if (browserdetect == "ie" && cur2.filters.alpha.opacity < 100)
    cur2.filters.alpha.opacity += 20
    else if (window.highlighting)
    clearInterval(highlighting)
}